Régis Le Bris believes Sunderland can take pride from their performance despite suffering a 5-3 defeat against Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick at the Etihad as Sunderland twice came from behind during an extraordinary first half. City eventually prevailed through an Antoine Semenyo double and goals from Enzo Fernández, Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland.
Le Bris admitted he will need time to properly analyse a game that was completely different from Sunderland’s usual pattern this season.
Le Bris proud of Sunderland identity
Sunderland have generally been defensively strong while struggling to consistently score from open play, but that was reversed against City.
The Black Cats created enough opportunities for Le Bris to believe they could have scored even more.
“It’s a defeat but we are proud of the level of the squad,” he said. “We created many chances, probably deserved to score two or three more goals.”
The Sunderland boss felt City’s quality was ultimately decisive, with small opportunities quickly punished by one of Europe’s strongest teams.
“It will take the next week to understand what happened exactly,” Le Bris admitted.
However, he was encouraged that Sunderland maintained the identity he wants regardless of the opposition.
He pointed towards recent matches against AZ Alkmaar and Arsenal as further evidence of that development, adding: “We are getting better. Obviously it’s not perfect but we played good football.”
Sunderland frustrated by handball decision
One incident particularly frustrated Le Bris.
Sunderland believed Elliot Anderson handled the ball inside the Manchester City penalty area, but no penalty was awarded. City then attacked at the other end and Semenyo scored their fourth goal.
“It looks like a handball to me,” Le Bris said. “I don’t know why it’s not given.”
The Frenchman was also frustrated by the lack of explanation surrounding the decision, saying officials simply communicate whether an incident has been given rather than explaining the reasoning.
It proved a potentially significant moment, but Le Bris’ overriding message remained positive after Sunderland demonstrated they could create serious problems for the league leaders.
Key points
- Sunderland lost 5-3 to Manchester City despite Brian Brobbey scoring a hat-trick.
- Régis Le Bris said he was proud of the level his team produced at the Etihad.
- Le Bris believes Sunderland could have scored another two or three goals.
- The Sunderland boss praised his team for maintaining their identity against elite opposition.
- Le Bris questioned why an Elliot Anderson handball incident did not result in a penalty.
What’s next?
Le Bris intends to use the coming week to analyse exactly why a normally strong Sunderland defence conceded five times.
The bigger task will be preserving the attacking threat shown at the Etihad while restoring their defensive solidity. If Sunderland can combine both elements, Le Bris will have plenty to build on despite the result.
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